Just Another Day
by Arcadia-of-the-East
Summary: It's just another day....
1. The Beginning (1)

a/n: a alternative universe fic. Assumes that Icheb left with the other Borg children and that the rest of "Imperfection" never happened. Set after the episode 'Drive'  
Disclaimer: I don't own it, blah blah blah  
  
Just Another Day  
Part One, The Beginning  
  
Ensign Harry Kim, or just Harry, for now, sat on a stool in the bar in the trade station Zeta Betta Six. The bar tender, an attractive woman and member of the race called the Gemili, same up to him. "Whatta you want?" she asked casually.  
  
"Some beer, please," Harry said. The woman nodded and went to fetch his drink. She really was pretty. Her ivory skin looked amazing next to her raven black hair. Her eyes were light violet and seemed to glow with life. She was an alien, of course. Her ears were small and extended more horizontally then they did vertically, and the nails on her graceful hands were much thicker then Harry's, but she was still gorgeous.  
  
"Hello, handsome," said a blond alien as she took the stool on Harry's right.  
  
"Good evening to you, miss," Harry said with a devilish smile. Yet another beautiful woman in his sight. He grinned at her. "And who might you be?"  
  
"Karia," she said as she extended her hand.   
  
"Harry," he offered as he took her hand and giggled. He and Karia started talking about silly things. Soon, Harry was half-drunk. Feeling odd, he left the bar and started heading for Voyager's docking port when he heard some screaming.   
  
"Please, just go away," said a high, terrified voice.  
  
"Not in your life, pretty," said a lower, darker voice. Harry went to investigate. Not far away from him was a small man grabbing a woman's arm, grabbing the bar tender's arm. Though he was short, he was more powerful then the woman. Harry thought he could take him. He walked over and put his arm around the bar tender's shoulders.  
  
"Is there any particular reason why you've got your greasy hands all over my girlfriend?" he asked in an authorities tone of voice.   
  
"Ah..." the man let the woman go. "We was just talkin."   
  
"Good," said Harry nodding. "Because if it was anything more then that, you'd be in trouble." The man nodded. Harry started leading the bar tender away from the hall were the man stood. He still had his arm over her shoulder.  
  
"What are you doing?" she whispered.  
  
"Just keep walking," Harry shot back at her. They were a few more meters before Harry stopped and took his arm off her. She looked at him but said nothing. Harry turned and started going back to Voyager.  
  
"Where are you going?" the woman asked.  
  
"Home," Harry said, turning around to face her. "To my ship."  
  
"And you're just leaving me here?" she asked.  
  
"Well, he's not bothering you anymore...."  
  
"Anymore! He will be in a few minuets when you leave. But that's okay, you go," she said quickly. She started walking the Voyager's direction. "I'll just go with you."  
  
"What?" said Harry, who had reassumed his journey to his ship and was no taking the lead, inadvertently showing the woman the way to Voyager. "You're coming with me?"  
  
"Yes," said the bartender. She stuck her chin in the air defiantly, as if to say that the ruling was final and the decision had been made.   
  
"I don't even know your name," Harry protested.  
  
"Lilika," she offered. "What's yours?"  
  
"Harry," Harry responded. He didn't quite know what to do. As he entered Voyager, he hoped that perhaps Lilika would decide not to follow him after all, but she seemed stubborn and persistent, and wouldn't let Harry out of her sight.  
  
"Don't you think this is a bit awkward?" Harry asked as they entered the terbolift.  
  
"I never asked for your help," Lilika responded.  
  
"And I never asked for its consequences. I was just trying to do the right thing."  
  
"Great," said Lilika with an amused grin. "Then I can stay." Harry and Lilika entered his quarters. Lilika flopped down onto the couch immediately. Still feeling awkward, but unable to protest, Harry hurried into his room.  
  
~~  
  
B'Elanna Torres-Paris woke up softly. She had been sleeping on her husband's chest. What a soothing sleep it had been. She felt more energetic then she had in the past few weeks. Ever since this flu started, she had felt horrible.   
  
Carefully, B'Elanna left the bed and headed for the shower. She did not want to wake up Tom on their day off. When she was finished with her shower, she found that Tom was wake and making breakfast.  
  
"Good morning," she said smiling.  
  
"Good morning B'Elanna," he said casually. We walked up to her and escorted her to the table.   
  
"And welcome to Cafe de Paris. Today we at Cafe de Paris had taken the liberty of making you some first class bacon and eggs." He put some eggs on a fork and raised it to her lips, letting her have a bite. "Perfect, no?"  
  
B'Elanna swallowed and laughed. Tom was not the best cook, even though she taken his cooking over Nelix's any day. The eggs were a bit runny, and Tom had forgotten to add salt when he fried them. But B'Elanna smiled anyway. "There're perfect," she told him.  
  
Tom smiled. He pulled out a chair from under the two-person table they had in their 'kitchen'. Then he went over to the other side of the table, sat down and took a bit of his homemade eggs. He frowned. "Perfect, ah?" Then he smiled. "Well, if it's good enough for my wife it's good enough for me," he said, grinning as his took another bite. B'Elanna laughed as she too took another bite. Tom always had such a good sense of humor, even when he was the one who had done something comical.  
  
"So," B'Elanna asked. "What's on the agenda today?"   
  
"Well," Tom said. "I figured we could stay home, watch some TV, play a game of cards. You know, just enjoy each others company." He added quickly, "and then you can go to sickbay about that flu that's been bothering you."  
  
B'Elanna rolled her eyes. "Tom, I'm fine," she said sharply. "I don't need to go to sickbay." Tom continued eating his food as if they were having a pleasant conversation about the weather instead of the heated argument that always sprung up whenever B'Elanna was asked to go tot he doctor.  
  
"I know," Tom said, as he took a sip of orange juice. "You're fine. Perfectly fine.   
Now." He stopped eating so that he could look B'Elanna in the eye. "But what about ten minuets from now when you're throwing up all of my wonderful food."  
  
"What wonderful food?" B'Elanna asked. Tom sighed.  
  
"B'Elanna you're sick," he said firmly. "You've been sick for the past few weeks and you'll be sick for the next few weeks unless you go to sickbay."  
  
"Why should I go to sickbay if I'm not sick?" B'Elanna shouted. Tom shook his head.  
  
"Fine," he said. "The customer's always right." With that he threw cleaned his half eaten plate and left the table. "I'm going to take a shower," he announced, not even turning around to face her as he retreated to the bathroom.  
  
B'Elanna heard the door close. Oh, the nerve of that man! Who was he to tell her how she felt? Or what she should do? B'Elanna felt perfectly fine, and Tom had no right to tell her otherwise.  
  
Then again, he had seemed genuinely concerned for her, worried even. And he had been so nice, making her breakfast and everything. Usually they just replicated something on their day off, like blueberry waffles or banana pancakes. Tom never cooked for her, and she never cooked for him. Life was always moving too quickly to do things like that.  
  
B'Elanna's stomach turned with guilt. No, not guilt, it turned with indigestion. B'Elanna ran into the bathroom, moving straight past Tom, who was wrapped in a towel and brushing his teeth.   
"All right, you win," she said after throwing up her breakfast. "I'll go and see the doctor."  
  
~~  
  
Captain Kathryn Janeway sat in a meeting on the space station Zeta Betta Six. She, Chakotay, and four other leaders from four other ships were negotiating a trade agreement. Two men, Frodum and Qualmen, were arguing about currency. Janeway rolled her eyes and Chakotay whispered, "Do you think this will ever stop?"  
Janeway glanced at the two arguing men. "Not by the looks of it," she said. "This is going to take a long time."  
  
~~  
  
Harry Kim walked into Astrometrics. "You're late," Seven of Nine stated.  
  
"Sorry," said Harry in an annoyed tone. "It's been a long night." To his surprise, Seven said nothing more about his tardiness. Nor did she ask what she had done to earn his hostility. She simply told Harry what their assignment was, scanning the space ahead of them and planning a course for next months travel. A simple two-day job. Harry, having no idea what a rude tone of voice he had just used, simply nodded and began to work.  
  
As Harry scanned the area of space that Voyager intended to travel threw next his thoughts wandered from his work to Lilika. She was still in his quarters. When he had left his bedroom and entered his living room he found her sitting on his couch in a purple robe she had replicated, drinking peppermint tea.  
  
  
"Morning, Harry," she had said when he entered the room  
  
Harry looked at her. The cloths she had been warring were laying on the floor, and a plate full of half eaten Chinese food sitting on the couch next to her. "What are you doing?" Harry had asked.  
  
"Just making myself more at home," Lilika said. "I've been thinking. You know this room; it's a little too gray for me. Can't we paint the walls orange or something?"   
  
Harry looked at her with wide eyes. "Lilika," he said, "you don't live here."  
  
"Oh, I know that," she said. "But, you never know. Maybe I will someday. I'd at least like to live on the starship. It's a really nice place. What did you call it again? Was it Voyager?"  
  
"Lilika, if you want to live on Voyager, you have you need to talk with the captain. Not with me. Now, if you could just leave..."  
  
"Oh, I can't leave yet, Harry look at the mess I've made. I'll just clean up while you get ready to do whatever it is you do here." Harry had rolled his eyes and gone to take a shower. When he was done Lilika was dressed in her normal closets again.  
  
"You don't mind if I keep the robe, do you?" she asked.   
  
"Keep it," Harry said. "I'm already late." That was when he left her in his quarters and headed to Astrometrics.  
  
"Mr. Kim," Seven of Nine said, braking his train of thought. "You have already performed that scan three times."  
  
"I know that," Harry shot back as he started on his next scan. What as he going to do about Lilika? He had the odd feeling that she would be sleeping on his couch for as long as she possibly could. How much longer would Voyager be here? One or two more weeks? Harry wished that they would leave sooner. He didn't want to have to deal with Lilika for that long.  
  
The door to Astrometrics opened. "Hi, Harry," Lilika said as she walked in. "I've been thinking. Now, if I'm going to be living on Voyager, I might as well see what it looks like. Could you give me a tour?"  
Seven of Nine gave Harry a sideward glance. "Is this a friend of yours?" she asked.   
  
"Yeah," Harry said. "She's a friend." He turned to face Lilika. "I'm in the middle of work. Maybe I could give you a tour later...."  
  
"That's all right, Mr. Kim. If you desire to spend time with your friend then you may go," Seven said. Harry gave her an odd look. Well you're no help, he thought.  
  
"Oh that's great, Harry! You can leave!" Lilika grabbed his hand and practically dragged him out of Astrometrics. "Come on, let's go." They started walking down the corridor. "So, is this entire ship gray or something? This thing defiantly needs a paint job. So where to first?" she asked.  
  
"Harry, nice to see you bud. Who's this?"  
  
"Hi Tom," said Harry gratefully. "Tom, this is Lilika. Lilika, this is my friends Tom and his wife B'Elanna." Lilika said 'Hi' and started talking about how dully colored Voyager was.   
Tom whispered to Harry, "You always fall for the wrong girl, don't you? First the hologram, then the ex-Borg, then the wrong twin, then the forbidden alien, then the terrorist, and now," he looked at Lilika, "the obsessive color fanatic."  
  
Harry sighed. "Not this one, Tom. I didn't choose her, she choose me." Harry glanced over at a talkative Lilika and a rather annoyed looking B'Elanna. "I'll talk to you later, Tom. Come on, Lilika, Voyager's a very big ship."  
  
"Okay. Bye, B'Elanna," Lilika said, smiling.  
  
~~  
"Bye," B'Elanna said shortly.  
  
"Remind me never to talk to that woman again," B'Elanna said as she and her husband made their way towards sickbay. "Ever."  
  
"Oh come on, B'Elanna. It couldn't have been that bad," Tom said.  
  
"She makes me ever more nauseous then I already am," B'Elanna said scornfully. "I didn't even think that was physically possible. But apparently it is."  
  
"Whatever you say..." Tom said. "Ah, here we are." He and B'Elanna walked into sickbay. The doctor came to see them.  
  
"You are aware that it's your day off aren't you Tom?" the doctor joked. Tom wasn't amused, neither was his wife. "Well, what seems to be the problem?"  
  
"B'Elanna's been fighting a mild flu for a few weeks," Tom said.  
  
"I'm fine," B'Elanna added. "I'm just coming to save his sanity."  
  
"Well let's see," the doctor said she he scanned B'Elanna with a tri-corder. "Heart rate's normal. Blood pressure's normal. Ah! Here's the problem."  
  
"Well what is it," B'Elanna asked. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong," the doctor said. The couple exchanged confused glances. "B'Elanna, you're pregnant."  
  
"Pregnant?" B'Elanna said sarcastically. "I can't be pregnant. My period just ended a few days ago, and we haven't had sex since then."   
  
"Many woman bleed during the first trimester," the doctor explained. "And you're well into the first trimester. In fact according to my scans, you're already eight weeks in." B'Elanna looked at Tom.  
  
"Let me see that," Tom said as the doctor handed him the tri-corder. He scanned is wife. "You're not kidding," Tom said in a surprised tone. He looked at B'Elanna. "You're really pregnant."  
  
"I am?" B'Elanna questioned softly. Tom held out the tri-corder so that she could see it. "I am." Tom Paris put an arm around his wife's shoulders. She leaned against him and grabbed her husband's hand, taking her other hand and putting it on her stomach, trying to imagine what it was going to look like.   
  
"Oh boy..." she muttered and then thought, but it could be a girl.  
  
"So," Tom asked as he noticed that B'Elanna was at a loss for words, "what's the due date?"   
  
The doctor took back his tri-corder and ran a second scan of B'Elanna. "It's difficult to say, all things considered..." the hologram was lost in thought for a moment. He knew that the average Klingon developed in twenty weeks and the average human developed in forty. Because the mother was half Klingon and half Human, it would take the baby thirty weeks to develop. And because the fetus was already eight weeks old the baby would be coming in.... "Twenty-two weeks. The baby should be here in twenty two weeks."  
  
"That's January 10nth," Tom said. He turned to his wife. "B'Elanna, we're going to have a baby January 10nth." B'Elanna simple smiled.  
  
~~  
  
Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay walked out of the trade meeting. "That was exhausting," Kathryn said. "I'm going straight to my quarters, taking nice, hot bath, and going straight to sleep."  
  
"That sounds good," said Chakotay, "but don't you think you should eat something."   
  
"I don't have the energy to cook tonight, and I'm all out of rations," Kathryn said.   
  
"You could always eat in the mess hall," Chakotay said. Kathryn gave him a side ward glance. "Well, maybe not. I could always bring you something after your finished with that long, hot, bath."  
  
"Really?" Kathryn asked.  
  
"Really."  
  
"That sounds great. I'll see you at my quarters in two hours then?"  
  
"It's a date," said Chakotay.   
  
They were almost to Voyager when someone behind them yelled. "Freeze, I have a weapon."  
  
~~  
  
"Oh," said Lilika as she sat in Astrometrics with Harry Kim and Seven of Nine, "I've got to go."  
  
"Really?' So soon?" Harry said sarcastically.  
  
"Yes. My shift starts in twenty minuets," Lilika responded. "Hey, I have a great idea! Why don't the two of you come with me?"  
  
"I don't think so," Harry said. "I pretty tired, and Seven doesn't like bars."   
  
Lilika turned to Seven. "Is this true?" Seven nodded.  
  
"Ensign Kim is correct," she said.   
  
"Oh, well you'll like this one, come on." Just as she had dragged Harry out of Astrometics earlier that morning, she dragged Harry and Seven to the bar with her now.   
  
"I'm really, really, sorry," Harry whispered to Seven of Nine as they were rushed threw the corridors.  
  
"It's all right," she whispered back.  
  
"Why are you doing this to me?" Harry asked as soon as they had entered the bar. "We don't even know each other. We're not even friends."  
  
"But you saved me, didn't you?" Lilika said.   
  
"I helped you out of a sticky situation, but I didn't marry you are anything," Harry said. "Were did Seven go?"  
  
"She's over there," Lilika said, pointing to Harry's right. "And now she isn't," Lilika continued as Seven disappeared into the crowd.  
  
"I should go follow her," Harry said.   
  
"She's a big girl," Lilika said.   
  
"Yeah, well so are you." With that Harry left the bar.  
  
~~  
  
Tom and B'Elanna were walking back to their quarters from the mess hall. "Hey, Harry," Tom said as he stopped to talk with his best friend. He was a little worried. Harry looked rather annoyed.  
  
"Hi Tom," he said. "Have you seen Seven?"  
  
"No, why?" Tom asked. "Don't tell me that you've fallen for the ex-Borg again?"  
  
"No, Tom, nothing like that," Harry said with a faint smile. "It's a long story, actually. Maybe I'll tell you about it tomorrow." Harry walked away.  
  
B'Elanna cuddled close to Tom as they walked. "Thank you," she said once they had entered the terbolift.  
"For what?" Tom asked.  
  
"Not telling him," B'Elanna said. "I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone yet." Tom nodded.  
  
~~  
  
Harry walked into Astrometrics the next morning. He was there early, so he didn't expect Seven of Nine to be there, but he was still surprised when she wasn't. B'Elanna walked in shortly after he did. "Hey, Harry," she said.  
  
"Hey, B'Elanna, what are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"I'm filling in for Seven," B'Elanna answered.  
  
"Filling in?" Harry asked, knowing that Seven never missed a day of work.  
  
"Yes. Tuvok said that she requested a day off," B'Elanna said.  
  
"That's weird," Harry said.  
  
"Attention all senior staff members. Please report to briefing room immediately," Tuvok said over the intercom.  



	2. The Beginning (2)

Just Another Day  
Part 1, the Beginning (continued)  
  
Tom took his seat at the senior staff table, the one to the right of his wife, B'Elanna. He had the desperate urge to pull her into his arms but managed to resist with relative grace. There was something about the pregnancy that made him what to shelter her. B'Elanna was the most precious piece of Tom's world. If he ever lost her…the world just wasn't complete without B'Elanna. In fact, the world was just plain worthless if she wasn't there. Or, the galaxy was worthless without her, to be more politically correct. But that wasn't the point. The point was she was special, times two. Because now she was carrying his child, his future child, and it was amazing.  
  
However, Tom knew that it was neither the time nor the place to allow himself to indulge in daydreams of fatherhood. As much as he hated it at the moment, Tom had business to do. And he couldn't let his personal life get in the way. Well, not too much, anyway.  
  
B'Elanna sent him a quick glance and took his hand under the table. All right, I give up, he thought distantly. This whole fatherhood issue just wasn't going to go away, was it? Of course not. Heck, Tom still had issues with his father's fatherhood and his wife's father's fatherhood. And that was what it all really boiled down to right? Be better then Owen…  
  
Tuvok stood up in the center of the staff room and Tom's thoughts instantly snapped back to hi8s job, though his hand stayed firmly in his wife's. "The trade meeting that the Captain and the Commander attended yesterday ended nearly twelve hours ago."  
  
"And…" Harry prompted after a few moments of silence.  
  
"And they are yet to return to Voyager," Tuvok stated calmly. A few staff members exchanged glances. Nelix looked more jumpy then usual. Then, Tuvok added, "We also have reason to believe that they may have been kidnapped."  
  
"What?" Tom semi-shouted. "Someone kidnapped Chakotay and the captain?"  
  
"We are uncertain at this time," Tuvok stated. "However, evidence had presented itself, and I will not dismiss the threat."  
  
"Well, what do we do, Mr. Vulcan?" Nelix asked anxiously.  
  
"I have all ready ordered Seven of Nine to meet with some of the other attendance at the trade meeting and try to collect more evidence. Until then your job is too keep this as quiet as possible. Is that understood?"  
  
"Wait a minute," Tom said. "You're telling me that Kathryn and Chakotay have been kidnapped and we're not doing anything about it?"  
  
"We are not cretin that they have been indeed kid napped, Mr. Paris," Tuvok replied as scornfully as a Vulcan could. "However, it does seem to be a possibility. And there maybe rumors spreading around the ship. Until we are able to confirm what had happened I would like you to keep these rumors as quiet as possible. Dismissed."  
  
Quickly, more quickly then usual, the staff members exited the room. Tom and B'Elanna walked together in the corridors. "Do you think it's true?" B'Elanna asked.  
  
"I'd like to believe that it's not," Tom admitted, "but it's not unlikely in these sorts of places." He gave a small laugh. "So much for keeping it quiet."  
  
"What do you mean?" B'Elanna demanded.  
  
"Nelix is the digest gossip on the entire ship," Tom pointed out. B'Elanna considered this for a moment. She sighed.  
  
"They'll all know by lunch."  
  
~~  
  
  
The day had been grim aboard Voyager. By lunch everyone knew of the Captain and Commander's mysterious disappearance and possible kidnapping. Harry was in no mood to eat lunch in the mess hall were everyone was, no doubt, exchanging rumors and horror stories. He stopped by briefly to grab his lunch, then took it to his quarters were he would eat alone.  
  
But, of course, fate wouldn't let him do that.  
  
When Harry walked into his quarters the first thing he saw was Lilika sitting on his couch drinking something out of a bright red mug. "Hello Harry," she said as he entered. Harry felt like screaming.  
"What are you doing here?" He asked in the most civil tone he could manage.  
  
"Drinking Cider," Lilika replied innocently. "My friend Arakizelle makes it. If you ask me it's the best the quadrant has to offer."  
  
"That's nice," Harry managed. "Why don't you go drink it with her?"  
  
Lilika raised one of her black eyebrows. "What is wrong Harry Kim?"  
  
"Look, it's just been a rough day." Harry marched to his small table and sat down, slamming his food onto the table. "Now, I'm going to sit here and I am going to eat in silence. So you understand?" After a few moments of no acknowledgement from Lilika Harry began to eat his meal.  
  
"You know, if something's bothering you it really helps if you talk about it." Harry tensed his body in a vein attempt to calm himself down. He closed his eyes.  
  
"I don't want to talk right now." Lilika wasn't taking no for an answer.  
  
"Come one, Harry. You'll feel better."  
  
"Look, my work load has doubled because my partner wasn't here, my captain and commander have been kidnapped, and my lunch tastes like something you'd find growing on a sock. I do not want to talk right now."  
  
"Kidnapped? Someone's been kidnapped?" Harry didn't respond. "Hmm, we don't get many kidnappings around here. We get some runaways, suicides, and wrongful incarcerations, but rarely kidnappings. Security around here is just too tight to let that happen. Hell, security is just to tight around here period." There was bitterness in her voice Harry had never heard before. Despite his annoyance he was intrigued.  
  
"What do you mean the security is too tight?" he asked.  
  
"Well, it is," she responded. Lilika sighed. "Do you think I want to be stuck on this space station working as a bar tender in the middle of nowhere? No, I don't, thank you. But I have no other choice. My ship has been confiscated for illegal docking or something like that and I don't have enough many yet to pay up. And…" she stopped abruptly. "I think I have to go."  
  
"Wait a minute," Harry demanded. "You're that one who said that talking about something made you feel better about it. Maybe you should talk your own advice."  
  
"You're right, Harry, there are times when talking just isn't the right thing." Lilika got up and made her way to that door, but Harry was faster.  
  
"You're not leaving until you tell me," he said as he stood in front of the door, blocking her path.  
  
"Harry, this isn't a game," she scolded.  
  
"I'm not playing." He crossed his arms over his chest. "And I'm not moving either, not until you tell me what's going on." Lilika, too, crossed her arms and a scowl appeared on her face.  
  
"This is my personal life. You have no right what so ever to ask me anything about it." Every feature on her face was hot and deadly, but Harry hold firm.  
  
"You've made my personal life, heck, my entire life your business. Why shouldn't I do the same for you?" he asked. Lilika gave up.  
  
"It's my sister, all right," she exclaimed as she headed back towards the couch. "She…she's braver then I am. When we came her and they took possession of our ship she decided that she was going to get it back. She asked me to help her but I was too scared, so she went without me, saying that she would beam me up as soon as she got position of the ship, but she never did." Lilika wiped a tear from her eye. "Lyzelle was caught in the act of stealing 'space station property'. And, considering the size and technology of our ship, that was a major offence. They put her on trial and do you want to know what her sentence was?" She wiped more tears from her eyes. "Death."  
  
~~  
  
The Captain had been pacing in her cell for hours, but nothing had happened. She was in the midst of a waiting game. Where were they? What was going to happen? Why were they even here in the first place? So many questions and no answers, yet. They answers would all come with time.  
  
But time was something the captain didn't have. Voyager had only planned to stay on the Trade Station for five days, and three of them had already past. Today was the fourth and tomorrow would be with fifth. If the security at the station were locking Janeway and Chakotay up for doing nothing then they would surely lock up the crew of Voyager for violation of their docking permit. The captain sighed. All this worrying was giving her a headache.  
  
She turned and looked at Chakotay. He was sitting on their cell's single bed, staring at the wall. His face was like a stone, carved perfectly but lifeless. He was deep in thought. But Kathryn Janeway didn't need him to be deep in though, she needed someone to talk to, someone to help her thing things though. She tapped Chakotay on the shoulder. He blinked once, then again, and then looked up at her.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Everything." She sat down next to him. "I just can't stand being trapped here Chakotay. I…I feel like I'm in a cage."  
  
"I know," he answered. "I feel the same way. But you can't let the paranoia get to you, not if we're going to have any chance of making sense of all this." Kathryn nodded.  
  
"Have you had any luck making sense of all this?" she asked him. Chakotay sighed.  
  
"Not much," he admitted. "I keep on thinking, why are we here? Were we breathing the wrong way? Walking forward in a backwards only zone?" Kathryn gave him a small smile. "Yes, I know. Those are some of my sillier theories. They're much more entertaining then my others. And much less grim."  
  
The smile on Kathryn's face faded. "What are your other theories?"  
  
"Well, I'm betting it has something to do with the trade negotiations. Maybe we just aren't giving them all they're asking for. That's probably it. We're not giving them all they're asking for so they plan to steal Voyager."  
  
"Do you honestly believe that?"  
  
"Yes, Kathryn, I do." They both thought for a moment.  
  
"What would they do with the crew?" Kathryn wondered allowed. Chakotay had an answer.  
"I'm willing to be that they don't just trade for technology and supplies. There's a very good chance that they trade slaves, too." Kathryn sighed.  
  
"Yes, that would be easy, wouldn't it?" Chakotay raised an eyebrow, wondering what was on her mind. "Well, Voyager's not just going to leave us here. They're going to want to find us. Unless they can do that and get whatever charges are being held against us a quitted by tomorrow then Voyager's docking permit will expire. And if they arrest us for breathing the wrong way then do you honestly thing that they'd let Voyager get away with violating the permit?"  
  
Chakotay shook his head. "No, they wouldn't."  
  
"Exactly. Then they'd have us, Voyager, and it's crew. We'd all be sold and Voyager wouldn't be sold or stripped for parts." Kathryn sighed. "We're in deep shit."  
  
~~  
  
B'Elanna walked from astrometrics to engineering. Seven of Nine had returned from whatever mission Tuvok had sent her on (she won't say anything about it when B'Elanna questioned her) and was now taking over her duties. She had been very annoyed to learn that Harry wasn't back from lunch. His failure to return had bothered B'Elanna too, considering he had left almost two hours before.  
  
Of course, while this had bothered and surprised her she had also been very grateful for it. When Harry was working with her he would always try to make conversation and B'Elanna didn't need any of that right now, she needed to be alone.  
  
The news of her pregnancy was less then a day old and still very fresh in B'Elanna's mind. She could barely believe that she was about to be a mother. Maybe that was why she didn't want to tell anyone yet. How could anyone else believe it is she barely believed it herself?  
  
Another part of her felt a little embarrassed. She should have known she was pregnant way before this. After all, she had noticed little changes aside from the morning sickness. Her breasts had become firmer and she had put on some unexplainable weight. Of course, she hadn't thought anything of it. Well, she had been a little annoyed at herself for gaining five pounds, but she figured that she could lose it relatively quickly. Now that she knew that the weight was a result of pregnancy she wasn't going to try to lose a pound.  
  
B'Elanna hated to admit it, but she was a little scared of the weight-gaining thing. She knew that she would have to gain at least twenty pounds to support the baby and the placenta, but she didn't want to gain any more then she needed to. How would she know when she had gained enough?  
  
B'Elanna scolded herself. Why was she worrying about little things like that? Weren't there more important things that she should be thinking of? Like what morals she wanted to pass down to her child or what things she would and would not do? After all, B'Elanna wanted to make sure that her baby's childhood to be anything like her own or Tom's. She wanted him (or her) to have two loving, stable, constant parents who were always there, no matter what, and who you could trust in times of need, and who were fair when it came to discipline. No wait forget about the discipline thing. B'Elanna doubted that any child would ever think punishment is fair. B'Elanna never had, even when she knew she deserved it.  
  
But that wasn't the most important issue. What mattered to B'Elanna was stability. She wanted her kids to have the comfort and safety or two parents who were always there, something B'Elanna had never had. She didn't want them to have a nonexistent father, like she did, or a man who only stopped by once a month to yell at you, like Owen had been for Tom.   
  
But that brought up other issues, too. What would happen if she and her husband were kind and loving parents and then they died? How would that affect the baby? At least B'Elanna had always known that if she really, really, really wanted her father then she might be able to find him somewhere. Death didn't leave things like that. Death was final. Who would she want taking care of her child? Harry, maybe? He was their best friend. But could he be a good dad?  
  
Parenthood was becoming more and more confusing every second. How could something this life changing be happening to her? She had been fine with just her and Tom. If that were all she ever had then it would be great. She loved the life she had now.  
  
But still, there were things about the job that B'Elanna did find attractive. The child would look at B'Elanna in a whole different light then the one she was used to. He (or she) wouldn't care about her past mistakes, or how she wasn't always perfect. She would be someone's mother, and that would be amazing. But that image of motherhood wasn't exactly true, or at least it wasn't true forever. In her heart B'Elanna really did love her mother. But there had just been so many things that had gotten in the way…. When B'Elanna last physically saw her mother they had not been on good terms. B'Elanna never wanted her and her child to have that type of relationship.  
  
So what would her experience with motherhood be like? It wasn't going to be easy that was certain. But perhaps she wouldn't find a way past the hardships, past the problems and uncertainties, past her own fears. And maybe she'd find a way to be happy.  
That was the moment when B'Elanna first loved her child.  
  
~~  
  
For the second time that day Tom walked into the senior staff meeting. Everyone's heart had begun to race as soon as Tuvok had made the announcement. Every crewman he passed seemed to look had him with wonder, as if he knew so big secret but wouldn't tell. Tom knew no secret. He knew nothing more then anybody else.  
  
Tom was the last one to arrive at the staff meeting. He took his seat next to B'Elanna and smiled. Before he had the chance to say hello to his wife Tuvok stood up. All eyes were on the acting captain.   
  
"Thanks to Seven of Nine we have found the location of the Commander and the Captain," he said flatly. "They have been taken by the Trade Station's security team and are being held in one of the station's brigs."  
  
"Why?" Harry asked.  
  
"According to the man I spoke to they were walking in a restricted area," Seven said.  
  
"That's ridiculous," Tom semi-shouted. "There were no restricted areas on the maps they gave us."  
"Indeed," Tuvok responded. "It is my belief that they are simply using that as an excuse to keep us here longer. They obviously have some ulterior motive."  
  
"Well we better figure it out soon," Tom said. "Our docking permit's about to expire." Being the pilot, that was the first thing that came to his mind. Their docking permit expired at the next day at midnight. That gave them less then thirty-six hours to figure out what was going on and get the hell away.  
  
"Is there anything we can do to get them out? Posting bail? Anything?" B'Elanna asked. Tom was sure that, like him, she wanted to leave as soon as possible.  
  
"Their trial is scheduled for Monday," Tuvok responded.  
  
"But that's two days away," Tom exclaimed. "Our permit will expire. And I doubt they'll let us renew it on such short notice."  
  
"I had come to that same conclusion, Mr. Paris," Tuvok said in his usual icy tone. "I am putting you in charge of getting the permit renewed. You are to contact the board of directors as soon as possible."  
  
"I'll go with him," B'Elanna volunteered. Tuvok nodded.  
  
"Very well. Seven, I need you to scan the inside of the station. We may have to break them out if the station masters prove to be hostile." Seven nodded. "Harry, I would like for you to work on a way of contacting the Captain and the Commander. The security personnel are not letting us visit them." Harry nodded.  
  
"I may have a way," he responded lightly.  
  
Tuvok nodded. "Dismissed."  
  
~~  
  
Harry walked grimly back to his quarters. What he was about to ask was wrong, very wrong, possibly immoral, but he felt that he had to do it. It was all he could think of. If Lilika said no…if Lilika said no he would think of something else.  
  
He walked though his doors quietly. Lilika was still sitting on his couch, looking grim. The mention of her sister seemed to have permanently darkened her spirits for the day. She looked up. "Hello Harry," she said, but not as brightly as she had before.  
  
"Hello," he responded. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"  
  
"Ask away," she said.  
  
"Are you allowed to visit your sister?" Lilika's face fell. This was obviously not the question she had expected. She took a deep breath and then answered.  
  
"Yes, I can, but last time I saw Lyzelle she advised me not to. She's afraid that they'll try to executed me too, being that I'm the owner of the ship and everything." Harry nodded grimly. It's what he had wanted and not wanted at the same time.  
  
"Lilika, I need to ask a favor of you." Harry crossed the room to sit next to her. This was going to be hard. "I need you to visit your sister. And I need to come with you."  
  
a/n: sorry about the delay. Please, tell me what you think. I don't mind if you don't like it. Tell me ways youu think I could improve (but of course, if you'd like to flatter me with an endless shower of praise, that's welsome too).-KateMarie  



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